Musical Theatre Scripts

Berton grew up in a family of vaudevillians and in fact first came to an appreciation of early jazz, as a child, largely as an aspect of vaudeville or show business and the performing arts in general. His self-image was that of a writer, and while most of the time he earned his living as a technical writer, he was always endeavoring to earn a living as a jazz critic. However, in terms of shear volume, much of his effort at artistic creation seems to have gone especially into musical theatre and the writing of longer works of fiction, apparently without much success. Leaving aside his industrial films, apparently only two or three of his commercial screenplays were ever actually produced, released and distributed. About five of his theatrical scripts, including three musical scripts, were produced, either Off Broadway, in regional theatre or in summer stock.

All of Box #9 and Folders #1 through #5 are various drafts, manuscripts, outlines, revisions and synopses of The Big Score aka The Brooklyn Bridge a major musical for which Berton wrote the script and lyrics. Berton put a major effort into this project all through the late 1970s and early 80s. The working scripts of 1980 suggest that it was a project that very was very nearly produced as the director, choreographer, set designer and principles were all chosen and a rudimentary budget developed.

Box #10 Folders #5 and #6 include an incomplete script, libretto, synopsis and reviews of La Bohemé '61, aka La Bohéme in Greenwich Village, an updated version of Puccini's opera, which anticipated similar efforts such as Rent by more than four decades. This effort, co-written by Ralph and Gene Berton opened as a showcase to very good reviews at the Jan Hus theatre, but was unable to attract sufficient backers for a more extended run.

Also of note is Marie Antoinette in Pennsylvania the various scripts and revisions for which take up all of Boxes #11 and #12. This musical, for which Berton was called in as script doctor and also to write most of the lyrics, was produced in a limited run in California in the early 1960s and the rights to its production are still held by Teddy Gaston Getty. Audio versions of this opus are contained in the audio section of this collection.